Researchers have found that a focused ultrasound technique, often called sonobiopsy, can release more neurodegenerative disorder biomarkers within the blood to ease the diagnosis of the diseases.

The study, published Tuesday within the journal Radiology, found a non-invasive method to detect biomarkers in blood that were previously restricted by the blood-brain barrier.

Focused-ultrasound-mediated liquid biopsy in a mouse model released more tau proteins and one other biomarker into the blood than without it, the study found. Many neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, are characterised by the presence of tau proteins within the brain.

In sonobiopsy, focused ultrasound is used to focus on a precise location within the brain.

“Once situated, the researchers inject microbubbles into the blood that travel to the ultrasound-targeted tissue and pulsate, which safely opens the blood-brain barrier. The temporary openings allow biomarkers, resembling tau proteins and neurofilament light chain protein (NfL), each indicative of neurodegenerative disorders, to go through the blood-brain barrier and release into the blood,” the researchers wrote in a news release.

The tactic is being touted as the primary non-invasive and targeted diagnosis and monitoring of neurodegenerative disorders using ultrasound technique.

Within the study, blood samples were collected from young mice with abnormal tau proteins within the brain, or tauopathy, who were receiving either sonobiopsy or were within the control group.

Following evaluation, it was seen that sonobiopsy led to a 1.7-fold increase within the normalized phosphorylated pTau-181 tau protein levels and a 1.4-fold increase in normalized pTau-231 compared with the control mouse group.

Next, the researchers again conducted a sonobiopsy, this time by targeting either the hippocampus or cerebral cortex within the early neurodegenerative stages of the tauopathy model. Blood samples before and after the sonobiopsy were collected and analyzed. The targeted sonobiopsy showed a 2.3-fold increase in NfL protein–a secondary biomarker for neurodegenerative diseases–in the sonobiopsy group.

“In our proof-of-concept study, we sought to find out whether sonobiopsy is capable of release phosphorylated tau species and NfL into the bloodstream by opening the blood-brain barrier,” Hong Chen, associate professor of biomedical engineering within the McKelvey School of Engineering and of radiation oncology within the School of Medicine, said within the news release. “This demonstration showed that sonobiopsy significantly enhanced the discharge of pTau proteins and a secondary marker of neurodegeneration into the bloodstream for non-invasive diagnosis for neurodegenerative diseases.”

In one other show of ingenuity, a unique group of scientists has created an modern “smart patch,” using microneedle technology, which might detect warning signs of Alzheimer’s in only six minutes, before the symptoms even occur. The device created by scientists at Swansea University looks for inflammatory biomarkers of neurologic disease, and may spot them with great accuracy.